Digital Commons Network^™

Higher Patient-Reported Percentage Pain Reduction Than Calculated Pain Score Differences In Chronic Non-Cancer Pain Patients, Alvaro Guerra Branger, Nebojsa Nick Knezevic, Adam B. Fink, Moez K. Sumar, Charmaine Ong, Neil C. Patel

Advocate GME

Introduction: Pain relief is commonly evaluated through two derivatives of the numeric scale rating (NRS) and visual analog scale (VAS): patient-reported percentage pain reduction (PRPPR) and calculated percentage pain reduction (CPPR). A limited number of studies have examined the agreement between these two parameters in chronic pain patients and have generally focused on specific pain types or treatment methods. Methods: A retrospective analysis of 1,919 patients who sought medical attention for various pain conditions was conducted. Patients had to be seen for at least 6 months with no less than 4 clinic visits. At each visit, patients were asked to …

Considerations For Laparoscopic Gastrectomy In A Patient With Lumboperitoneal Shunt, Isabel Rao Shuai, Katayoun Aghajani, Rishi Gaiha, Nebojsa Nick Knezevic

Advocate GME

Introduction: One relative contraindication of laparoscopic surgery is patients having a cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) shunt that drains into the peritoneum due to reports of perioperative shunt complications. These complications include intracranial hypertension due to reversed flow of CSF, shunt failure, and emphysema along the shunt trajectory. However, due to ongoing improvements of these CSF shunts, recent data suggests that laparoscopic surgeries are safe to proceed with special considerations.[1] There are no major studies or reviews standardizing practices regarding patients with CSF shunts. Case Presentation: A 49 years old female with a past medical history significant for recurrent headaches, obesity class …

Anesthesia For A Patient With Angelman Syndrome Undergoing Dental Rehabilitation, Alyeldin Elgamil, Sahel Keshavarzi

Advocate GME

Introduction: Angelman syndrome (AS) is a rare genetic disorder with a prevalence of 1:52,000 live births. It is characterized by severe developmental disability, craniofacial abnormalities, ataxia, seizures, sleep disturbances, hand flapping, and frequent laughing and smiling. It is mostly caused by a maternal deletion of the ubiquitin-protein ligase gene in chromosome 15. This deletion also affects the gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) (A) β3 subunit gene which contributes to the high rate of epilepsy seen in these patients. Due to the rarity of AS, there are no large studies to address whether these patients may have specific anesthetic complications. Case Presentation: A …

Autoradai: A Versatile Artificial Intelligence Framework Validated For Detecting Extracapsular Extension In Prostate Cancer, Pegah Khosravi, Shady Saikali, Abolfazl Alipour, Saber Mohammadi, Maxwell Boger, Dalanda M. Diallo, Christopher J. Smith, Marcio C. Moschovas, Iman Hajirasouliha, Andrew J. Hung, Srirama S. Venkataraman, Vipul Patel

Publications and Research

Preoperative identification of extracapsular extension (ECE) in prostate cancer (PCa) is crucial for effective treatment planning, as ECE presence significantly increases the risk of positive surgical margins and early biochemical recurrence following radical prostatectomy. AutoRadAI, an innovative artificial intelligence (AI) framework, was developed to address this clinical challenge while demonstrating broader potential for diverse medical imaging applications. The framework integrates T2-weighted MRI data with histopathology annotations, leveraging a dual convolutional neural network (multi-CNN) architecture. AutoRadAI comprises two key components: ProSliceFinder, which isolates prostate-relevant MRI slices, and ExCapNet, which evaluates ECE likelihood at the patient level. The system was trained and …

Low Serum Alkaline Phosphatase Concentrations At Hospital Admission As Markers For Severe Pediatric Sars-Cov-2-Related Acute Illnesses, Sneha Jayadeep, Julie A. George, Bishara J. Freij

Conference Presentation Abstracts

Background: Alkaline phosphatase (ALP) is composed of several isoenzymes. The measured serum (total) ALP is mostly of bone and liver origin. ALP activity changes with growth and puberty, and its level is affected by age and sex. Abnormal ALP levels have been noted in COVID19 patients but its use as a marker of severity has not been assessed to our knowledge.

Objective: Assess if low serum ALP is a marker of disease severity in acute Pediatric SARS-CoV-2-related illnesses.

Design/Methods: Retrospective observational study of children 0-18 years of age hospitalized at Beaumont Children’s Hospital from 3/1/2020-3/31/2022 with positive PCR for SARS-CoV-2 …

The Effect Of Captions In A Flipped Blended Learning Environment On Developing Efl Vocabulary Among Saudi University Students, Mohammad N/A Alolayan Dr.

Journal of Arabic Sciences and Humanities

This study aimed at investigating the effect of blended learning environment through the flipped classroom model. Authentic videos with captions extracted from YouTube (Ted Talk community) were used. The quasi-experimental method was employed with a pre-test - post-test control group design. Twenty college Saudi students were divided into a control group and an experimental group. A vocabulary test was pre- and post-administrated to measure learned vocabulary. The results revealed statistically significant differences between average ranks of students’ scores in the experimental and control in favor of the experimental group students, which highlighted the positive impact of using captions accompanying authentic …

Beyond Survival: Anthropocentrism And Environmental Justice In Daniel Defoe’S Robinson Crusoe, Malak N/A Alghufaili Dr., Mada Alghufaili Dr.

Journal of Arabic Sciences and Humanities

This study analyzes Robinson Crusoe (1719) through an ecocritical lens, focusing on its depiction of Crusoe’s anthropocentric mindset that thrives due to his disregard for environmental justice. Drawing on Lawrence Buell’s “environmental imagination” and John Locke’s theory of property, the study examines how Crusoe’s survival tactics exploit the environment, prioritizing his own needs while neglecting the ecological principles of environmental sustainability and biodiversity. By reinterpreting the novel in light of these contemporary ecological principles, this study offers a fresh perspective on Crusoe’s actions, encouraging readers to critically reassess the long-term consequences of his behavior on the natural world. It also …

Analysis Of Rare Events In Healthcare Intervention Using Department Of Defense Data: Intravenous Immune Globulin Therapy For Bullous Pemphigoid, Onur Baser, Huseyin A. Yuce, Gabriela Samayoa

Publications and Research

Introduction

Rare events data have proven difficult to explain and predict. Standard statistical procedures can sharply underestimate the probability of rare events, such as intravenous immune globulin therapy (IVIg) for bullous pemphigoid.

Methods

This retrospective cross-sectional study used Department of Defense TRICARE data to determine factors associated with IVIg therapy among bullous pemphigoid patients. We used prior and weighted correction methods for logit regression to solve rare event bias.

Results

We identified 2,720 individuals diagnosed with bullous pemphigoid from 2019 to 2022, of which 14 were treated with IVIg. Patients who received IVIg therapy were younger (65.07 vs. 75.85, P …

Louise Ward Sims

African American Funeral Programs

No abstract provided.

Global Ionospheric F Region Parameters From Gnss-Pod Limb Measurements: Evaluations And Comparisons With Two Empirical Models - Iri-2020 And Nequick-2, Nimalan Swarnalingam, Dong L. Wu, Dieter Bilitza, Daniel J. Emmons, Cornelius Csar Jude H. Salinas, Artem Smirnov, Yenca Migoya-Oru

Faculty Publications

An optimal estimation (OE) technique has recently been developed for F region electron density (Ne) using Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) limb sounding on low Earth orbit (LEO) satellites (COSMIC-2, Spire, and FengYun-3). This method provides unprecedented spatiotemporal sampling for global monthly Ne climatology within 100–500 km in 2 hr intervals. The global dataset, collected during mid to moderately high solar activity, is compared with leading models: IRI-2020 and NeQuick-2. Diurnal variations in summer, winter, and equinoctial months are examined for the F2-layer peak, as well as the topside and bottomside of the F region. The observed and modeled NmF2 …

Understanding The Mechanism Of Bent Dna Amplifying Sensors Using All-Atom Molecular Dynamics Simulations, Kaitlin Bullard, Deborah Okyere, Shelbi J> Foster, Asmaa Ali Sadoon, Jiali Li, Jingyi Chen, Yong Wang

Physics Faculty Publications and Presentations

Bent DNA amplifying sensors were recently developed to amplify and quantify the interactions of DNA with various salts and molecules. However, a thorough quantitative understanding of their mechanism is missing. Here, using all-atom molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, we investigate the behavior and dynamics of sharply bent DNA molecules in the absence and presence of Mg2+ ions at different concentrations. The simulations show that Mg2+ ions reduce the fluctuations of DNA strands, enhance base-pairing, and stabilize bent DNA molecules. The computational results are further verified by both melting curve experiments and ensemble FRET measurements, highlighting the mechanical instability and sensitivity of …

Metabolic Diversity Of A Widely Distributed Tropical Freshwater Crab Is Not Underpinned By Genetic Differences, Lucy Turner, Christopher Thorpe, Michael Collins, Smrithy Raj, Tripti Shukla, John Spicer, Mairi Knight, Dheeraj Sharma, Krushnamegh Kunte

School of Biological and Marine Sciences

AimThe aim of this study was to understand the interplay between local and regional factors as drivers of population physiological diversity in a tropical freshwater crab species.LocationWestern Ghats, south-west India.TaxonBarytelphusa cunicularis, Brachyura, Crustacea.MethodsWe applied an integrative approach combining population genetics and whole animal physiology, using the tropical freshwater crab Barytelphusa cunicularis as our model species. We tested for effects of population location (e.g., latitude, altitude), season (as a proxy for rainfall and water temperature) and/or warming on indices of whole animal respiratory physiology (metabolic rate, MO2) and hypoxic performance (Pcrit, i.e., the PO2 at which routine MO2 can no longer …

The Influence Of Native Language Rhythm On Speech Rate Perception In Unfamiliar Languages, Lubna Alshaikh Mubarak Mrs, Hayya Jaber Al-Zalmi Dr.

Journal of Arabic Sciences and Humanities

This experimental study investigates the influence of language rhythms on speakers’ perception of speech rate both in native vs. unfamiliar languages. An experiment was conducted to compare participants’ perception of speech rate in Arabic as their native language (stress-timed), to that in three other languages, each having a different rhythmic pattern: German (stress-timed), Spanish (syllable-timed), and Japanese (mora-timed). A total of 120 sentences (30 from each language) was carefully prepared and recorded for this purpose. A mixed-gender group of 45 native Arabic speakers, unfamiliar with all of the other languages listened to the sentences and gauged the speech rate for …

The Variation Of Morphological Dependency Direction In Causal Adjectives And Demonstrative Pronouns In Communication According To Mel’Čuk’S (Meaning-Text) Theory., Fahd Hamed Al-Zammai Dr.

Journal of Arabic Sciences and Humanities

This study explores the concept of linguistic dependency direction from Mel’čuk’s meaning-text theory, which highlights how dependency can vary in different directions, even within the same linguistic level. Focusing on the morphological level, it examines the variation of dependency direction in Arabic, particularly in areas of agreement such as semantically linked adjectives and demonstrative pronouns. The research applies Mel’čuk’s theory to analyze Arabic grammar, aiming to enhance understanding of its morphological structures. The findings reveal that morphological attachment patterns in Arabic can follow a single linear order or vary in multiple ways. One notable variation is the attachment of two …

The Role Of Animation In Developing Children's Imagination: The Film “Inside Out” As A Model, Rehab N/A Alkilani Dr.

Journal of Arabic Sciences and Humanities

This research explores the impact of storytelling on the intellectual and emotional development of children, with a focus on how imagination influences creative thinking and problem-solving skills. Moreover, the study underscores the importance of imagination as a powerful tool in child development, capable of nurturing various aspects of a child's personality. Findings reveal that imagination significantly contributes to enhancing creativity, facilitating adaptability, improving psychological well-being, and fostering communication and cooperation skills. The research further emphasizes the necessity of selecting appropriate storytelling content that reflects the values of the digital age. By doing so, educators and caregivers can effectively leverage the …

The Concept Of “Poetry” By Quran Interpreters: Presence And Determinants Of The Concept, Khaled Ayesh Al-Hafi Dr.

Journal of Arabic Sciences and Humanities

This research aims to trace the concept of poetry, in works by the Holy Quran interpreters who interpreted it as technical term. The research utilized the analytical-inductive approach to identify the presence of this concept and determinants thereof in the perceptions of interpreters regardless of their intellectual orientations and sects, as this paper approaches it from a literary perspective. The research is significant as it extrapolates a problematic literary concept in different texts. One finding is that this concept appeared in their books only since the sixth century AH onward, but not before, because poetry in the view of the …

Using Least Cost Path Analysis To Explore The Archaeological Path Connecting Between Hatim Al-Taie Houses And His Stove, Iman Abdulaziz Al-Saif Dr.

Journal of Arabic Sciences and Humanities

Reviving ancient paths between archaeological sites in mountainous regions and improving accessibility to them is very important; it drives local economic development and achieves sustainable tourism. Hail Province possesses a unique geographical environment, with mountains, valleys, agricultural lands, villages, and urban areas. It is rich in archaeological sites, many of which are located in mountainous areas. The primary obstacle lies in the difficulty or impossibility of accessing these sites. The study aims to exploration the path linking two sites: Hatim Al-Tai's houses in Tuwairan il, and Hatim Al-Tai's fireplace in Jabal Al-Samra, and verify its validity. The study takes a …

Evaluating The Impact Of Sampling Pattern On The Validity Of Derived Dems: Wadi Yiba Basin As An Experimental Environment, Nadia Awad Al-Safri Dr.

Journal of Arabic Sciences and Humanities

The study aims to know the effect of the sample pattern on the validity of the DEM, relying on the analytical inductive approach through two stages. The first begins with deriving the DEMs via the Spline tool, and with a fixed sample size for the three samplings: (random, random with added 50m between the samples, and systematic), whereas the second depends on the evaluation both visually (hillshade and contour) and quantitatively (calculating the vertical accuracy based on the RMSE of the derived surface, and finding the differences between the surfaces of the three samples) of the derived models based on …

The Reality Of Tourism Investment In The Kingdom Of Saudi Arabia And The Role Thereof In The Growth And Governance Of Economy, Mashael Fahad Al-Harthi Mrs, Lamia Abdul Aziz Al-Jasser Dr.

Journal of Arabic Sciences and Humanities

This study examines the early development of tourism investment in Saudi Arabia and the interaction between government and private sector roles within the framework of Vision 2030. It highlights how the Vision encourages investment participation and provides tools to support tourism as a growing contributor to national income. The Kingdom aims to position tourism as a major investment hub, both locally and globally, similar to its role in other economies. A descriptive-analytical method, along with Pearson correlation and regression analysis, was used to analyze the link between government (independent) and private (dependent) tourism investment. Results indicate a strong, complementary relationship—99% …

The Resonance Of The Death Of King Faisal Bin Abdulaziz 13 Rabi` Al -Awwal 1395 Ah/ 25 March 1975 Ad In The United States Of America: In Light Of Foreign Records And Newspapers, Mutrik Turki Al-Subaie Dr.

Journal of Arabic Sciences and Humanities

The resonance of the death of King Faisal bin Abdulaziz, may God have mercy on him, in the United States of America, remained an incident rarely touched upon as he, may God have mercy on him, is one of the most important leaders of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and of the world in the twentieth century. The American government was shocked by the death of King Faisal, and the US State Department and Public Opinion, as reported by the American newspapers, began to study the possible alternatives and effects of the incident on Saudi foreign policy in several cases, …

Observations By The Prophet’S Companions, May Allah Be Pleased With Them, In Abyssinia: An Era Of Abyssinia History In The First Quarter Of The 7th Cent. Ad As Narrated By The Companions, Muhammad Ibrahim Aba Al-Khail Dr.

Journal of Arabic Sciences and Humanities

The first Muslims migrated to Abyssinia, and lived there for years. When they returned to their country, they would talk from time to time about what happened to them in Abyssinia, and describe the events and situations they witnessed in that country. Thus, they transferred pages from the political and cultural history of this country in the first quarter of The seventh century AD, and after collecting and arranging it, it came in three sections. First, Al-Najashi’s personality, religion, and features of the system of government and administration in his state. Second, The revolution against the Negus and his victory …

Unpacking The Grammar In English As A Foreign Language Academic Writing: Error Patterns And Categorization In Research Thesis Proposals, Abdullah N/A Alshayban Dr.

Journal of Arabic Sciences and Humanities

This study, through an empirical lens examine the grammatical usage errors in university students’ thesis proposals, primarily focusing on English as a Foreign Language learners. The prime objective is to scrutinize the predominant types of errors and analyze the most common and recurrent patterns in the learners’ advanced academic compositions. In this study, the errors are quantified and classified  utilizing a descriptive quantitative methodology based on a surface taxonomy. Errors are further highlighted relating to misordering, misformation, omission, and addition. Among the 1,754 errors in the analysis of 27 student proposals from a university in Saudi Arabia, the primary problems …

Building A Pre-Surgical Multiparametric-Mri-Based Morphologic, Qualitative, Semiquantitative, First And High-Order Radiomic Predictive Treatment Response Model For Undifferentiated Pleomorphic Sarcoma To Replace Recist, Raul F Valenzuela, Elvis Duran-Sierra, Mathew Antony, Behrang Amini, Sam Lo, Robert S Benjamin, Ken-Pin Hwang, R Jason Stafford, Dejka Araujo, Andrew J Bishop, Ravin Ratan, Wei-Lien Wang, Jossue Espinoza, Pia V Valenzuela, Chengyue Wu, John E Madewell, William A Murphy, Colleen M Costelloe

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Undifferentiated pleomorphic sarcoma (UPS) is the largest subgroup of soft-tissue sarcomas. It demonstrates post-therapeutic hemosiderin deposition, granulation tissue formation, fibrosis, and calcification. Our research aims to establish the multiparametric MRI (mp-MRI) value for predicting UPS treatment response.

Methods: An IRB-approved retrospective study included 33 extremity UPS patients with pre-operative mp-MRI, including diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI), contrast-enhanced susceptibility-weighted imaging (CE-SWI), and perfusion-weighted imaging with dynamic contrast-enhancement (PWI/DCE), and surgical resection between February 2021 and May 2023. Lesions were visually classified on CE-SWI into one of 6 morphology patterns. On PWI/DCE, lesions were classified into one of 6 patterns, and time-intensity curves …

A Path Out: Using Video Games To Reduce Prejudice Towards Refugees, Liam Cross, Gray Atherton, Chris Stiff

School of Psychology

Historically, research on video games has centred on their potentially adverse effects, though more recently, work has started to explore the benefits. Here, we investigate whether playing a video game portraying a refugee’s plight in escaping war-torn Syria could affect implicit and explicit attitudes towards that social group. We show that after 30 min of game play embodying a Syrian refugee, participants showed reduced prejudicial attitudes and increased empathy towards Syrian refugees compared to those playing a mechanically similar but contextually unrelated game. While implicit attitudes followed the same direction, this difference was not statistically significant. Potential theoretical underpinnings of …

Perspectives On The Current Diagnostic And Treatment Paradigms In Secondary Hemophagocytic Lymphohistiocytosis (Hlh), Leonard Naymagon, Jeffrey Bednarski, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Improved awareness of hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) among clinicians has led to an increase in its diagnosis. Often diagnosis is made based on the HLH- 2004 criteria. While these criteria have considerable strengths, they lack specificity and may be fulfilled in the setting of many pro-inflammatory disorders. Genetic defects affecting cellular cytotoxicity cause familial (primary) HLH. On the other hand, secondary HLH is more a pathophysiologic process common to many conditions, rather than a singular disease entity. Improved genetic, immunologic, and functional testing have changed not only the way we diagnose HLH, but also how we treat it. In 2004, there …

Quantization For A Condensation System, Shivam Dubey, Mrinal Kanti Roychowdhury, Saurabh Verma

School of Mathematical & Statistical Sciences Faculty Publications

For a given r∈(0,+∞), the quantization dimension of order r, if it exists, denoted by Dr(μ), represents the rate at which the nth quantization error of order r approaches zero as the number of elements n in an optimal set of n-means for μ tends to infinity. If Dr(μ) does not exist, we define D−−r(μ) and ¯¯¯Dr(μ) as the lower and the upper quantization dimensions of μ of order r, respectively. In this paper, we investigate the quantization dimension of the condensation measure μ associated with a condensation system ({Sj}Nj=1, (pj)Nj=0,ν). We provide two examples: one where ν is an …

Social Media Usage And Peer Pressure As Predictors Of Substance Abuse Among In-School Adolescents In Kwara State, Nigeria, Mariam Bukola Alwajud-Adewusi, Olayemi Zainab Oduola, Bolanle Ifabiyi

Jurnal Kajian Bimbingan dan Konseling

Substance abuse among youngsters in Nigeria is worrisome. Its consequences include acute, chronic diseases as well as social and psychological ailments. Immediate intervention is essentially paramount to prevent the future of the younger generation. Thus, this study investigated social media usage and peer pressure as predictors of substance abuse among in-school adolescents in Kwara state, Nigeria. The study was a survey research. The population of this study comprised all in-school adolescents in Secondary Schools in Kwara State which estimated at 247,845. The sample size of 403 participated in the study. An instrument entitled “Social Media Usage, Peer Pressure and Substance …

Dinner Film Screening And Discussion Of Bring Them Home

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

Join us for the culminating event of this year's UM Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR), by attending a dinner gathering, plus a film screening and discussion of the award-winning documentary Bring Them Home. After the screening, codirectors Ivy and Ivan MacDonald (Amskapi Piikani/Blackfeet) will share their film production reflections, followed by conversation with audience members. A dinner of squash soup, salad, and cornbread will be served.

About the film (from the Thunderheart Films website): "Bring Them Home tells the story of a small group of Blackfoot people and their mission to establish the first wild buffalo …

The Decadal Effects Of Wildfire On Macroinvertebrate Communities In Southwest Montana, Mason J. Wiggins

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

In the western United States, wildfires are increasing in frequency, intensity, and size due to climate change and historical land management practices. These environmental events have reshaped forested landscapes, affecting stream ecosystems and riparian zones. High-intensity wildfires can increase sediment and nutrient loading, reduce riparian canopy cover, and alter in-stream habitat, leading to changes in macroinvertebrate community composition. While the immediate (1-10 years) wildfire effects on macroinvertebrates are fairly well documented, decadal (10+ years) responses remain understudied. This research gap limits our understanding of post-fire trajectory and stream ecosystem resilience. To address this knowledge gap, we can identify how wildfires …

Human Connection, Experience, And Focal Points In An Era Of Technology, Georgia Balius

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

Human Connection, Experience, and Focal Points in an Era of Technology

Georgia Balius, UMCUR 2025 Abstract

In an era of rapid technological development, we have become increasingly intertwined with our devices and online spaces. Proponents of the rise of technology point out that we have made significant advancements in areas such as medical and automation that add great overall benefit to society. Opponents point out that technology has increasingly isolated us and created a whole host of new problems we are not equipped to deal with. Philosophical work in this vein has often taken one side or the other when …